5 customisable OKR examples for Security Department

What are Security Department OKRs?

The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.

Writing good OKRs can be hard, especially if it's your first time doing it. You'll need to center the focus of your plans around outcomes instead of projects.

We understand that setting OKRs can be challenging, so we have prepared a set of examples tailored for Security Department. Take a peek at the templates below to find inspiration and kickstart your goal-setting process.

If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read our OKR guide online.

Building your own Security Department OKRs with AI

While we have some examples available, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. You can use our free AI generator below or our more complete goal-setting system to generate your own OKRs.

Our customisable Security Department OKRs examples

You will find in the next section many different Security Department Objectives and Key Results. We've included strategic initiatives in our templates to give you a better idea of the different between the key results (how we measure progress), and the initiatives (what we do to achieve the results).

Hope you'll find this helpful!

1. OKRs to enhance company security standards to safeguard against potential threats

Enhance company security standards to safeguard against potential threats
Achieve a 100% completion rate of all recommended security updates and patches
Conduct routine audits to ensure all devices and systems have the latest security patches
Provide ongoing training and awareness programs to educate employees on the importance of installing security updates
Implement an automated system to regularly scan and identify available security updates
Establish a policy for prompt installation and deployment of all identified security updates
Implement a comprehensive training program on cybersecurity for all employees
Create an online platform to provide ongoing access to cybersecurity resources and learning materials
Schedule regular training sessions to ensure all employees receive cybersecurity education
Assign qualified trainers to deliver interactive and engaging cybersecurity training sessions
Develop a customized cybersecurity training curriculum tailored to different employee roles
Reduce the average response time to security incidents by 20%
Streamline incident response workflows to remove unnecessary steps and improve efficiency
Develop a clear escalation process and ensure all stakeholders are aware and trained
Conduct regular simulations and exercises to enhance incident response readiness and identify areas for improvement
Implement automated monitoring systems to identify and alert on security incidents promptly
Increase the frequency of security audits to at least once every quarter
Assign specific personnel responsible for conducting security audits
Develop a standardized reporting format for security audit findings and recommendations
Implement regular communication channels to track and monitor security audit progress
Review and update security audit checklist to ensure comprehensive coverage

Implement this OKR

2. OKRs to become a computer security expert

Become a computer security expert
Successfully pass the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam with a score of 80% or higher
Develop and execute a comprehensive security project, receiving positive feedback from industry experts
Collaborate with industry experts to gather insights and recommendations for improving security measures
Regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented security measures to ensure ongoing protection
Develop and implement robust security protocols and controls across all systems and processes
Conduct a thorough assessment of current security vulnerabilities and risks
Complete at least two online courses on computer security, scoring above 90% in each
Ensure mastery of course materials and aim to score above 90% in assessments
Devote dedicated hours per week to studying and completing the online courses
Research and identify two reputable online courses for computer security
Enroll in the selected online courses on computer security
Implement and manage effective security measures on personal computer resulting in zero malware incidents
Install a reliable antivirus software program on the personal computer
Enable automatic software updates for the operating system and all installed applications
Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading files from untrustworthy sources
Regularly update the antivirus software to ensure the latest protection against malware

computer-security certified-ethical-hacker security-analyst cybersecurity-consultant it-department security-team

Implement this OKR

3. OKRs to implement Crowdstrike enterprise endpoint security with new features

Implement Crowdstrike enterprise endpoint security with new features
Successfully integrate Crowdstrike into 75% of enterprise endpoints by week 8
Install and configure Crowdstrike on identified endpoints
Identify and categorize 75% of enterprise endpoints for Crowdstrike integration
Conduct testing and troubleshooting post-integration
Identify and document necessary Crowdstrike features for enterprise integration by week 4
Review Crowdstrike's offerings and identify essential features for enterprise integration
Establish a deadline for completing this task in week 4
Document the integration process with all essential features
Conduct user training on Crowdstrike's new features for all key staff by week 12
Identify key staff for Crowdstrike's new features training
Develop comprehensive user training plan
Conduct training sessions by week 12

crowdstrike-enterprise-endpoint-security staff-training enterprise-security-specialist training-facilitator it-department training-and-development-team

Implement this OKR

4. OKRs to enhance security posture and governance as CISO Manager

Enhance security posture and governance as CISO Manager
Reduce the number of security incidents by 20%
Enhance employee training on cybersecurity practices
Increase monitoring and intrusion detection efforts
Implement routine system updates and security patches
Conduct quarterly cybersecurity training for all employees
Schedule and announce training sessions to all employees
Identify relevant cybersecurity topics for training modules
Develop comprehensive yet straightforward training materials
Implement multi-factor authentication for 90% of systems
Identify which systems currently lack multi-factor authentication
Monitor and report regularly on progress until 90% completion
Instigate the addition of multi-factor authentication to necessary systems

security-posture multi-factor-authentication ciso-manager cybersecurity-trainer security-team it-department

Implement this OKR

5. OKRs to enhance the effectiveness of the vulnerability management program

Enhance the effectiveness of the vulnerability management program
Implement updates to the vulnerability detection system by 25%
Plan and develop necessary system updates and enhancements
Execute implementation of updated system at 25% capacity
Assess current vulnerability detection system for potential improvements
Conduct training sessions for 80% of the IT staff on improved vulnerability management practices
Schedule and conduct the training sessions
Create an advanced vulnerability management curriculum
Identify IT staff that require vulnerability management training
Reduce the number of vulnerability incidents by 30%
Regularly train staff about online threats
Implement an updated, robust cybersecurity program
Run weekly system vulnerability checks

vulnerability-management system-updates it-staff cybersecurity-team it-department security-&-risk-management-team

Implement this OKR

Security Department OKR best practices to boost success

Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.

Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇

Tip #1: Limit the number of key results

The #1 role of OKRs is to help you and your team focus on what really matters. Business-as-usual activities will still be happening, but you do not need to track your entire roadmap in the OKRs.

We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.

Tability's audit dashboard will highlight opportunities to improve OKRs

Tip #2: Commit to weekly OKR check-ins

Don't fall into the set-and-forget trap. It is important to adopt a weekly check-in process to get the full value of your OKRs and make your strategy agile – otherwise this is nothing more than a reporting exercise.

Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.

Tability's check-ins will save you hours and increase transparency

Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row

Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples above). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.

As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.

Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.

How to turn your Security Department OKRs in a strategy map

Quarterly OKRs should have weekly updates to get all the benefits from the framework. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:

It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
It will highlight poorly set OKRs
It will surface execution risks
It improves transparency and accountability

We recommend using a spreadsheet for your first OKRs cycle. You'll need to get familiar with the scoring and tracking first. Then, you can scale your OKRs process by using a proper OKR-tracking tool for it.

Tability's Strategy Map makes it easy to see all your org's OKRs

If you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.

More Security Department OKR templates

We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.

OKRs resources

Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the Objectives and Key Results framework.

To learn: What is the meaning of OKRs
Blog posts: ODT Blog
Success metrics: KPIs examples

What's next? Try Tability's goal-setting AI

You can create an iterate on your OKRs using Tability's unique goal-setting AI.

Watch the demo below, then hop on the platform for a free trial.

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